Without You
by JacksonFrost
Summary: She could never laugh again, without Ted. She could never properly live again without Ted. Her life would be the same as it always has been, with the only difference being the absence of Ted, but God, that absence would kill her." Andromeda/Ted.


**Disclaimer: **Characters belong to JKR, song lyrics belong to the amazing late Jonathon Larson and everyone associated with Rent.

* * *

**Without You**

_The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly  
without you  
The Earth turns, the sun burns  
but I die, without you_

"You are forbidden to see that Mudblood anymore!" Cygnus Black screamed, his eyes bulging.

"But I love him!" Andromeda yelled back, sobbing brokenly. "I love him, Daddy!"

Cygnus reached out and slapped her, hard. "You disgust me," he said through clenched teeth, turning abruptly and leaving her standing there, alone.

She took a shuddering breath and slowly went upstairs. _Life without Ted._ The tears poured again at the thought. She entered her room, hearing the giggles of Narcissa and Bellatrix floating up to her window.

She could never laugh again without Ted. She could never properly _live _again without Ted. Her life would be the same as it always has been, with the only difference being the absence of Ted, but God, that absence would kill her.

Andromeda listened to the sounds of everyday life going on outside her window- her sisters laughing, the birds chirping, the wind blowing- as something irrevocably changed within her. She took a deep breath, and began to pack.

_The world revives, colors renew  
but I know blue, only blue, lonely blue, willingly blue  
Without you_

"Mrs. Tonks, I'm afraid I have some bad news," Kingsley said, looking away from her desperation. "We've lost all contact and information on your husband's whereabouts."

Andromeda shook her head frantically. "He's in hiding, he can't tell you where he is! He's perfectly fine, he's just protecting himself!"

Kingsley sighed heavily. "He has sent us regular Patronuses about where he was and who he was with until last week, all of which we have passed on to you. We haven't heard from him since. We wouldn't be as concerned, but there were reports of Snatchers in the area where your husband last was."

"That doesn't mean anything!" Andromeda cried.

Kingsley shook his head. "Not necessarily, but there's something else. Your husband notified us that he was with Cresswell, and his Patronuses stopped last week too." He raised his voice over Andromeda's cries of protest. "And furthermore, there was a safe house Ted was supposed to reach three days ago. It would have housed him for a bit and transported him out of England. He hasn't arrived."

Andromeda began to cry. "There has to be, _has to be_, an explanation!"

Kingsley sighed heavily. "I hope so. But I think it's time to accept the fact that there is a strong possibility that Ted has been captured by Snatchers."

"And if he has? When will they let him back?" Andromeda asked, her voice shaking as she desperately tried to cling to a strand of hope.

Kingsley looked at her pityingly. "I don't know," he said softly. "I don't know if they will."

Andromeda turned, tears streaming down her face. She was vaguely aware of Kingsley leaving, head bowed, and Nymphadora engulfing her in a hug, but all she could focus on was the gaping hole in her heart.

How could she go on without her husband, without Ted?

_The mind churns, the heart yearns  
the tears dry without you_

Andromeda clutched sleeping Teddy and the note that her daughter had scrawled last night- _Mum, I have to go and fight. I can't sit here while Remus is in danger. I'm sorry. If we don't come back, I know you'll do a wonderful job raising Teddy. Tell him I love him and I'm sorry. Please don't be mad. I love you._

When she heard the knock, she leaped to her feet and opened the door to Kingsley. "Where is my daughter?" she asked frantically.

"I'm afraid I have some horrible news," Kingsley said, his voice husky with tears, as they both remembered the last time he had news for her.

Andromeda began to cry, holding Teddy closer. "Just tell me," she pleaded.

Kingsley took a deep breath. "Tonks and Lupin were both killed tonight."

Andromeda's face crumbled, and she suddenly looked as if she had aged a hundred years. "How?" she asked, her face etched with grief.

"Remus was killed by Dolohov first. Everything was so…confusing, but I think Tonks saw. She was battling Bellatrix at the time, and was caught off guard." Kingsley's voice shook, but he forced himself to continue. "And then Bellatrix shot the Killing Curse at her, and she died, only a few minutes after Remus."

Andromeda looked away, the tears pouring from her face and splattering the last note Nymphadora had left her. She barely flinched at learning that Nymphadora was killed by her sister's hand. The knowledge that both her daughter and son-in-law had been taken from her in one day was too much for her to bear.

Kingsley awkwardly rested his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Andromeda," he whispered, before turning to leave.

Teddy stirred and Andromeda rocked him gently before placing him in the cradle, unable to hold him anymore. "Oh Nymphadora," she whispered. "How could you leave us like this?"

She looked at the picture on the mantle of a grinning Ted with a young Nympadora and sunk to her knees, surrendering to her grief. "Ted," she sobbed. "I need you here with me to get through this. I can't do this on my own."

Life would go on, without Nymphadora, just as it had after Ted was captured, but she couldn't. Losing Ted was unbearable, but losing Nymphadora too would kill her.

But then the baby started to cry, and Andromeda rose from her knees. She would keep living, for Teddy's sake.

_Life goes on, but I'm gone  
'cause I die, without you  
without you  
_

Andromeda lay in the bed, smiling up at Teddy, who was peering over her with concern. "Gram, please try to get some rest," he said softly. "You need to hang on, okay? I need you."

She shook her head. "You don't need me, Teddy," she whispered, her voice decrepit with disease and age. "You've grown to be such a strong, young man."

"Please," Teddy pleaded, gripping her hand. "Just try to make it until my wedding. It's only in a few months. You couldn't wait for that day!"

"Teddy," Andromeda breathed. "It's time."

He shook his head, crying. "I love you, Gram."

"I love you too," she said weakly, closing her eyes. She wasn't scared of death, instead, she was thrilled. She would finally be reunited with Nymphadora, and Ted. _Oh Ted_.

She felt Teddy's gentle kiss on her forehead, and smiled one last time. She saw Ted in her mind, coming towards her, grinning. _I've missed you, Dromeda._ She tried to tell him that without him, her life was never the same, never complete, but she was too choked up to speak. But he knew anyway. _I will never leave you again. I love you. _And then he reached for her hand, and pulled her towards him, and she was finally, finally, _finally_ with him again.

_Fin_.


End file.
